A pasta salad worth carrying to a party needs more than cold noodles and dressing. These 11 recipes add chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon, bacon, cheese, crisp vegetables, and herbs, with creamy, pesto-based, and vinaigrette-style options in the mix. Some are light enough to sit beside grilled food, while others have enough protein to work as a fuller serving. The variety gives a potluck or cookout table several reasons to keep the serving spoon nearby.
Pesto Orzo Salad
With basil pesto at the center, Pesto Orzo Salad makes six servings in 20 minutes. Orzo is mixed with mayonnaise, Parmesan, mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, pine nuts, and fresh basil. The small pasta and bite-size additions make every scoop easy to serve beside grilled food or sandwiches. Bring it when you want a chilled side with enough cheese, herbs, and vegetables to keep people interested past the first helping.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Rotisserie chicken gives Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad enough substance for eight servings, with a total time of 1 hour 2 minutes. Rotini, Caesar dressing, lemon zest, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bacon, Parmesan, romaine, and garlic croutons fill out the bowl. Familiar Caesar flavors make the pasta easy to recognize while still offering more than a standard green salad. It works well at cookouts or potlucks where one side can also handle a fuller portion.
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Salmon Pasta Salad
For a seafood option with plenty of volume, Salmon Pasta Salad makes 10 servings with orecchiette, cooked salmon, and cucumber. Sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice create the creamy dressing around the pasta and fish. The salmon adds protein while the cucumber and herbs keep the bowl from becoming too heavy. Set it out for a larger party or picnic when you need a chilled dish that can serve as either a side or a more substantial scoop.
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Pizza Pasta Salad
Pepperoni brings familiar pizza flavor to Pizza Pasta Salad, an eight-serving dish ready in 20 minutes. Fusilli is tossed with pepper Jack cheese, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, Italian dressing, parsley, and Italian seasoning. The meat, cheese, and vegetables give each serving plenty going on without requiring a complicated dressing. Add it to a cookout or casual party when you want a pasta side that stands apart from the usual mayonnaise-heavy bowls.
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Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Farfalle and summer vegetables give Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad eight servings of color and crunch in 33 minutes. Grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow summer squash, black olives, parsley, and red onion join the pasta. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, honey, Dijon, and garlic form the dressing. The vegetable-heavy mix makes it a useful choice for cookouts where the table already has plenty of rich mains and needs a bright pasta side.
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Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
A tangy yogurt dressing keeps Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad from leaning too heavily on mayonnaise, with six servings ready in 30 minutes. Bow tie pasta, rotisserie chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, and garlic are mixed with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. The chicken gives the bowl enough substance for lunch while the herbs and peppers add freshness. Bring it when the party table needs a pasta salad that can hold its own beside grilled meat.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Bacon, tomatoes, and romaine turn BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! into an eight-serving side ready in 25 minutes. Pasta is coated with mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, and garlic powder before the bacon, grape tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and parsley are folded in. The familiar sandwich combination gives the bowl an easy crowd-friendly direction without becoming another plain macaroni salad. Serve it with burgers or grilled chicken when a cookout side needs both crunch and richness.
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Steak & Pasta Salad
Cooked steak makes Steak & Pasta Salad substantial enough to move beyond side-dish territory, with eight servings ready in 25 minutes. Pasta, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and candied walnuts join the beef. Mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon, lemon, fresh herbs, and garlic make up the dressing. It belongs on a party table where people may want a larger scoop that combines pasta, vegetables, cheese, and protein in one bowl.
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Borrowing the flavors of the classic appetizer, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad makes eight servings in 20 minutes. Elbow macaroni and hard-boiled eggs are mixed with mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, celery, red onion, red bell pepper, smoked paprika, and chives. The eggs add substance while the relish, mustard, and vegetables keep each bite varied. Bring it to a picnic or cookout when the spread could use a creamy pasta salad with familiar deviled egg flavor.
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Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Shrimp and chickpeas give Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp plenty of substance across eight servings in 35 minutes. Orzo, feta, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion fill out the bowl, while olive oil, lemon juice, dill, parsley, oregano, and honey season it. The seafood, beans, vegetables, and cheese keep the pasta from carrying the dish alone. Serve it chilled when a summer party needs a side that can also work as a light meal.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Italian Pasta Salad
Fusilli carries plenty of vegetables and cheese in Italian Pasta Salad, which makes eight servings with a total time of 1 hour 32 minutes. Cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil join the pasta. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic, and Dijon form the dressing. The combination works well for potlucks and cookouts when you want a classic cold pasta bowl with plenty of texture in every scoop.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad